Coal Bin Double Edition: Kirkland Dons Coal Sox for Four Mor

[Tyler]

by Patrick Bailey, Charleston Gazette

Scribe’s Note: What a week for the Coal Sox! This installment of the Coal Bin will be a double feature to cover all last week’s happenings.

The Coal Sox succeeded in locking up a key piece of their young core last week when Tom Kirkland put pen to paper and committed to dirtying up his socks for four more years.

The contract, valued at $20 million, pays an even $5 million per year. The fourth year is a team option. Kirkland would have been arbitration-eligible this offseason, so the deal in effect buys out his final arbitration year and signs him as a free agent for three seasons.

“I had my doubts about West Virginia,” said Kirkland yesterday, who was a part of January’s blockbuster trade of slugging first baseman Ruben Cruz (who is, incidentally, leading the IL in OBP and runs). “But once I got the chance to see Allegheny Field and meet all the great members of this organization I realized this team will be competitive for the long haul, and that’s where I want to be.”

Kirkland had made no secret he was upset to be leaving New Jersey when the trade was announced this winter. But the fresh air of Appalachia has grown on him, and now he can guarantee he’ll be enjoying it for a long time to come.

Jones Fired: Pitching coach Claude Jones was fired after yesterday’s game against the Nutmeggers. The Coal Sox have refused comment other than a press release, but it is known that Jones and manager Armando Zamora had four-hour meeting in Zamora’s office last Friday that both men refused to speak about.

No replacement has been named. The Sox are believed to be targeting Kumanosuke Nii of Japan, but he has made it clear he does not enjoy the prospect of working in the state of West Virginia.

The Price of Success: Orlando Valadez says he wishes he had never hit that inside-the-park home run.

Really?

Really.

Valdez’s shot on Saturday that led the way to a victory over New Orleans had the unintended consequence of giving the clubhouse pranksters a fresh set of ammunition. Anthony Cox has led the charge.
“I guess he’s too good for normal home runs,” Cox moaned in fake exasperation. “I mean, most guys here just hit ‘em over the wall, but O had to show off his fancy little legs for all of us. I mean, yuck!”

“I’m never doing that again,” Valadez groaned when I told him about Cox’s complaints. “And I wish Tony would get a new line. That’s the one he greeted me with in the dugout.”

Taking One on the Chin: Saying it would give the young catcher a chance at regular at-bats, General Manager Tyler Babcock announced that backup catcher Ching-hsia Chin would be demoted to AAA Mansfield. Veteran backstop Harvey Nuesink will take over his role for the Coal Sox.

Minor Update: Well-informed Coal Sox fans have been clamoring for Anthony Bagg to make the team since spring training, and he hasn’t disappointed them with his work for the Mohicans. Since he was last profiled in Minor Update Bagg has lowered his ERA to 1.14 and sits at 4-0 on the season. The Coal Sox have not made any indication about when they plan on bringing him up to the bigs. But with numbers like those, it will be sooner rather than later. I’ll say it here: look for him by the All-Star break.

Minor Update II: Uber-prospect Jose Ramirez is struggling with the bat in AA Maine, but the Sox are pleased with his progress defensively. “We told him to focus on his defense and the bat will take care of itself. We don’t want him getting frustrated because if you take a look at where he is, in the mid-minors, and only seventeen. He has a chance to be something very special,” Babcock said.